SBSD Bullying Prevention Policy

Our school community (staff, students, and families) are committed to making our school a safe and caring environment for each and every student. In alignment with Board Policy 5131.2 - Bullying, Solana Beach School District works to ensure each and every individual experiences a sense of belonging, respect, dignity, and safety. The prevention of  bullying is a top priority, and if it occurs we must respond to it.

Bullying is a repetitive (act that is not one time, but it keeps on repeating over frequent intervals), intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or online. When talking about bullying, it is very important for students, teachers, and parents to understand what bullying is not. Many times, a single act or behavior is hurtful, but it may not be considered bullying.

Bullying that occurs through the Internet or other forms of technology is known as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is the use of electronic communication media (cell phones, text messages, gaming chats, Google Classroom, social media, etc.) to bully another student in the ways described above. Bullying and cyberbullying may interfere with a student’s educational opportunities and may substantially disrupt the orderly operations of the school. Parents and guardians can be partners in cyberbullying prevention by supervising and monitoring the use of their student’s digital devices and technologies.

Students in SBSD will do the following things to prevent bullying and feel safe at school:

• Treat everyone with respect and kindness

• Be an upstander (someone who sees what happens and intervenes, interrupts, or speaks up to stop the bullying)

• Do not be a bystander (someone who sees bullying happening and does nothing to stop it)

• Try to include everyone in play, especially those who are often left out

• Immediately report repeated unsafe and/or repeated unkind behaviors to a school adult

Teachers, staff, and administration in SBSD will do the following things to prevent bullying and help children feel safe at school:

• Supervise students in all assigned areas of the school and playground

• Watch for signs of bullying behavior and intervene as appropriate when it happens

• Utilize classroom meetings to develop a culture of respect and dignity for each person

• Respond quickly and sensitively to reported allegations of bullying

• Examine all reported bullying allegations 

• Assign corrective action, consequences, and facilitate restorative practices for instances of bullying based on the school’s Effective Schoolwide Environment Plan, including retaliation against students who report bullying

• Provide timely communication (typically with 24-48 hours of the reported allegations) with parents/guardians and families of involved students

 District Anti-bullying Policy - Solana Beach School District Board Policy 5131.2 Bullying
 
For more information on what you can do to prevent and respond to bullying visit:    

www.StopBullying.gov